Knowing how to fix a pinhole leak in a copper pipe can save a lot of money in plumber's fees
Copper h2o pipes

A pinhole leak is one of the most common types of pipe repair that we get asked virtually – and knowing how like shooting fish in a barrel information technology can be to gear up one can often salve you a pocket-size fortune in avoidable plumber's fees.

Most pinhole leaks in domestic copper pipes are a upshot of pitted corrosion on the inside of the pipe breaking through to the outside, causing the tiniest of cracks to appear. When this happens, water in the pipage begins to leak out of the damaged section.

Considering information technology is incommunicable to protect the within of pipework and control what is going on within systems, preventing pitted corrosion is extremely difficult.

Nobody is able to conclusively say what causes pitted corrosion, either. It could be happening for a whole host of reasons; high levels of chlorine in your water supply; a problem with the h2o pressure; or corrosion particles escaping another rusted component, such every bit a boiler, and building upward on the inside of the pipe.

Pinhole leaks are not just restricted to copper pipes corroding away. Accidentally drilling into a pipe can cause a pinhole in materials including steel and cast atomic number 26. Beingness able to gear up a pinhole leak is a skill that can serve yous well in any number of applications.

So, how exactly practise you lot prepare a leaking pipe with a pinhole? Here are four piece of cake methods.

Fix a pinhole leak using epoxy putty

Because pinhole leaks are small-scale, the easiest repair method is to make full them with epoxy putty. The best tool for the job is an epoxy putty stick, which combines the resin and the hardener in a pre-measured format.

To utilise an epoxy putty stick, yous tear off the amount of putty required and knead it by hand. The putty will quickly plow to a uniform color, at which point you push it into the pinhole. It volition and so cure and harden, filling and sealing the pinhole.

Repairs made with epoxy putty are long lasting simply not permanent. To reinforce the pinhole pipage repair and plough it into a permanent solution, you tin can overwrap the putty with a pipe repair cast. When the resin infused in the bandage is activated, information technology will cure to provide a rock hard, touch on resistant layer over the initial repair.

Repair a pinhole leak using piping repair record

Ane downside of epoxy putty is that it volition struggle to bail with pipes when h2o pressure level cannot exist turned off – the higher the h2o force per unit area, the less chance of a successful repair.

In these instances, a good alternative is a waterproof pipe repair tape. Such tapes are made from self-fusing silicone and when stretched and wrapped around a pinhole, will form a solid rubber ring over the leak expanse for a force per unit area resistant repair.

Just like with epoxy putty, a pinhole leak repair fabricated with waterproof repair tape can be reinforced with a pipe repair bandage for an added layer of protection.

Fixing a pinhole leak with a pipe repair clamp

Pipe repair clamps provide another straightforward method of repair for a pinhole leak. They consist of a metallic sleeve with a flexible pad of safety inside.

The clamp is placed over the area of pipe requiring repair. When the screws on the clamp are tightened, it will bolt downwards and encompass the piping, sealing the pinhole leak.

There are limitations to pipe repair clamps. Considering they must encompass the pipe, they can only be practical to straight sections.

If the pinhole leak is on a tee or an elbow – every bit is often the instance when pitted corrosion is the culprit – then a clamp will not provide an effective repair.

Replacing pitted pipes

If you are unfortunate enough to endure from pinhole leaks on a frequent basis, then this is often a sign of extensive pitted corrosion throughout your pipework system.

In this example, y'all may be improve off replacing the damaged sections of pipage as high levels of pitted corrosion tin can lead to much more serious issues than pinholes.

The older your pipes, the more than likely they are to need replacing. The lifespan of copper pipe tin exist anywhere between 20 and 50 years depending on the workload placed upon the system.

If your property is served past copper pipes over twenty years old and pinhole leaks are becoming a recurring event, so it might be fourth dimension to consider pipe replacement rather than repair.